Hennagan went from solid performer to winning her first outdoor U.S. title in
2004, breaking 50 seconds for the first time with her Olympic Trials victory in
49.56. She narrowly missed a medal at the Olympics, placing fourth, but she
earned her second Olympic 4x400m relay gold medal in Athens ans has long been a
key part of Team USA relays. Hennagan was the first North Carolina woman to win
an NCAA title…she earned her first USA senior title at 400m at the 2002 USA
Indoor Championships, and she successfully defended her title in 2003 before
going on to win a bronze medal in the 4x400m relay at the World Indoor
Championships…started running in elementary school because of all the
encouragement she got when she regularly beat her boy schoolmates and cousins in
footraces...was twice ranked the top high school 400m runner in the nation, and
as a senior, clocked the nine fastest times in the nation…she was also an
all-state volleyball player and played basketball in high school…she won 12
state titles in high school, despite not being able to compete in the state meet
as a 9th-grader because she went to a private school...she earned her degree in
psychology and African American studies.